Moments
by thebeccac
Summary: What I think happened before Zuko's coronation. Kataang. Disclaimer : I do not own Avatar.
1. Chapter 1 Dreams

**(So, I'd imagine this would take place in a spare bedroom in the Royal Palace after the Agni Kai. Enjoy!)**

_'So .. you are the avatar .. you? A child?' Ozai asked. He was simply astonished that Aang, a boy, going up against a middle ages, crazed maniac, who has a desire to make all of the World Fire Nation. He heard that Aang was a boy, but he never expected it to be true_

_'Please, we don't have to fight, please .. ' Aang pleaded._

_'I'm making sure my forefather's dreams get realized. Today. Right now' Ozai_

_Ozai inhales sharply before emitting powerful flames from his fists and mouth, then aiming him in his direction. Aang earthbended a wall, shielding him from the embers, and began shooting the jagged rocks in his direction before jumping onto the next pillar. Aang jumped from pillar to pillar in a circular movements, building up a lot of momentum, then pressing himself forward, making a tornado spiral into Ozai's direction. Ozai evaded the attack with ease, and began to augment flames. Unfortunately, Aang took the impact of the that attack, forcing him off a pillar. It wasn't over yet, but that's when Ozai moved his arms in circular motions, just as Aang was getting up, and shot lightning, striking Aang in his chest. The lightning coursed through his body, as his final breaths escaped him. Ozai went onto his airship again, and began shooting flames, incinerating the remains of the land .._

"AHHHHHH !" Katara screamed, after exiting her nightmare. She felt the sweat drip from her forehead, and wiped it off with her palm.

'_That was .. intense, watching Aang, my best friend, nope .. more than best friend .. to me anyway, die_' she said to herself. She brought her knees up to her chest and began to cry. She began to ponder her life without him, not to mention their last words to each other was nothing but yelling. That was the last she'd ever have of him - yelling. She continued to cry, and got surprised when light from a paper lantern made its way around her door.

"Katara, are you alright? I heard some noises coming from your room" said Aang making his way into the room.

"Aang .. " she breathed.

His clothes were very tattered, and his top was torn, and burned to ashes a long time ago, and was wearing a robe to keep himself warm. There were many superficial scratches, burns and purple and black-ish bruises on his legs and arms.

"Are you alright? I've brought you a drink of water - "

"Aang!" she squealed tackling into him, and pulling him into a hug. Aang thought this was a bit odd, but loved Katara's presence and wrapped his arms around her, placing the drink on the desk.

"I'll take it you're happy to see me " he questioned.

" .. You have no idea " she sighed. Her breathing was very uneven from all of this. She was surprised Aang couldn't hear her heart banging thunderously in her chest.

Aang pulled away and noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks. He lightly brushed his calloused thumbs by her eyelids. "Why were you crying?" he asked.

Katara's breathing, still labored, but began to slow down again. She gulped in hesitation before telling him. "I kind of had a nightmare .. it's nothing " she replied, hoping he wouldn't ask anymore.

Aang walked over to her bed an sat down. "Two things. One ; you don't get an awful lot of nightmares, and two ; when you get them, you don't cry, it was obviously a bad one. Tell me about it .. or don't " he requested.

_'Maybe if I tell him I'd feel better_'. she said to herself. "I erm" she stuttered. "I kind of had a dream where you died while fighting Ozai, and then the airships began burning down the Earth Kingdom". After thinking of what she just said, she began to cry, she felt ashamed - she was basically saying that she didn't believe in him. "I'm sorry, Aang, I'm so sorry. It's not that I didn't believe in you, I knew you'd come back, it's just .. if you didn't .. I don't think I would be able to survive without you. I'd feel the same I way I felt when I lost my mother and I-"

"Hey-hey" he whispered. "Shush, it's alright .. it's okay. I'm back now, aren't I?" he asked.

She nodded solemnly. "I don't think you know how proud I am of you " .

"Well, I had help along the way " he reasoned.

"Ah stop being so humble. Be proud of yourself, you just saved the entire world Aang, and stopped a war, not to mention you more or less mastered the elements in a matter of months. Don't be humble about these amazing achievements " she said.

"Thanks" he said blushing. He felt as if this moment was getting a bit awkward, especially as he thinks Katara is still confused. "Are you alright now?" he asked. "I'll leave so you can sleep. Goodni-" he said, about to shut the door.

"Wait!" she exclaimed and he turned around.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Would you mind .. " she started, but hesitated for a few moments. "Would you mind staying the night here .. with me" she requested.

He shuffled his way over to her again. "Are you sure? I thought - "

"Just come in .. " she groaned, lifting up the covers, and Aang went under.

"Are you sure your're alright. Are you okay with this .. us like this?" he asked. "I thought you were confu-"

"Shh Aang" she whispered. "I think we deserve one night with each other, no talking needed, nothing. Just to be close to each other. Think of this as my way of saying 'thank you for saving the world' and that 'words do not describe how proud I am of you'. I just think we deserve each other's company, especially after everything that's happened between us lately, which I'm sorry for" she answered. She planted a kiss on his cheek, making Aang blush before gently closing her eyes.

Aang wasn't sure what to do, and wrapped his arms around her. All of this made Aang a bit confused himself. 'Is she still confused?'


	2. Chapter 2 'A new era of love and peace'

**(Disclaimer : I do not own avatar. This chapter is more dialogue than anything else, so .. sorry)**

Katara awoke to the sound of people shuffling their way into the courtyard, and the odd conversation about 'the heroic avatar who ended the war'. She rubbed her eyes and noticed she was the only one in the bed. Aang left a while back to get ready for the coronation.

She gave a sigh of relief. She could now wake up in her own time, afford to sleep in without the Fire Nation banging on their door. Not only that, she can live in an actual house with her friend and Aang can airbend. ' _The peace _..' she said to herself. She loved it.

While all of this was happy and wonderful, doubts started to creep in. '_What am I going to do now that the war is over? Do I return to Gran-Gran? Do I meet up with my dad?'_

'_I wonder where Aang is?_' she asked herself.

Once she got dressed, she walked out of the spare room. She began to walk down the corridor keeping her waterskin in her grasp, then realizing she didn't need to be 'ready for action' anymore. It would be quite unusual now to be attacked in the streets for your opinion on the war. She noticed Toph, Suki and Sokka were all together.

"Hey guys!" she called out.

"Katara!" Sokka said, limping over to her.

Sokka pulled her into a hug, but quickly pulled away to groan with the pain. "Ow ow ow"

"What happened?" she asked.

"Sokka being Sokka jumped off of an airship"

Katara passed him glare, expressing all of her opinions about his stupidity, with that one glare.

"Why?" she asked. "Why would you do that?"

"For the fate of the world, guys?!" he shrieked loudly.

"Would you shut up! Zuko is trying to recover as much as he can after Azula shot him" she complained.

"What?" Suki and Toph said simultaneously.

"Yeah. She tricked him and meant to shoot me .. but he jumped in front to save me .. he risked his life for me .. " she sighed.

"Is he alright?" Toph asked.

"Yeah he's alright. I'm surprised my water helped him, if it were a few centimeters higher, it would have gone right through his heart .. enough about this depressing fight, what was it like fighting the airships?" she asked.

"A lot of work .. I knew there was a high chance of us dying .. but Sokka and I were on the edge of an airship about to fall off, and that's when Sokka's leg decided to snap on us. On top of that we had the Imperial fire benders about to burn us, but Suki came to save the day, by steering another airship underneath us"

"He-he" was all she could manage to say.

"Did ye see the fight between Aang and Ozai?" Katara asked.

"It was incredible .. I knew Aang was one powerful kid, I never expected him to be like that! He didn't even kill him" Sokka exclaimed.

"Yeah, he took away his bending!" Suki added.

"Woah ... that's amazing ... have you guys seen him around, I kind of want to talk to him about something" Katara said.

"Yeah, okay. He's getting changed somewhere" Sokka said.

"Thanks guys" Katara said taking her leave.

Katara was about to run off when Toph ran up to her. Toph grabbed her by the hand and pulled her behind the corner. "Are you going to sort things out with Aang?" she asked.

"Yeah .. " she sighed. "Wait, how do you know things were iffy between us? He didn't tell you did he? Ugh, I'm such an idiot!" she complained, rambling off into a tangent.

"Relax, I just knew. Considering your last words to each other were yelling, and ye'd usually argue about these things, I knew something went wrong there, but like I said since ye don't yell at each other, I kind of guessed something happened between you too"

"You can just read us like a book can't you?"

"I read your heartbeats like a book, so .. yeah" Toph said.

"Well, I have to go find him and apologize" she said, this time running away.

**0o0o0o**

Katara walked out into the big hall and noticed Aang's figure. He was putting on the upper piece of some air-nomad robes, that he must have received as a gift or something. Katara ran up to him. "Hey Aang!"

"Oh hi, Katara ugh!" he said groaning with the pain from some injury.

"Oh spirits, I'm so sorry. Let me help you" Katara offered. Well it wasn't really an offer, she was going to do it anyway.

"No it's fi-"

"I'm helping you" she insisted.

Katara walked around him and gently pulled his arms into the sleeves. Once finished that she flattened out the poncho part, and straightened it up.

"Where did it hurt you? I will fix it later because it would take too long now"

"My back. I was pushed into a jagged rock and because of that .. I kind of went into the Avatar State. It's as if all of the information was stored in that scar. All I needed was a slap on the back" he joked.

"Ha-ha, but we know that that wouldn't have happened while we were training you. Also, I have something for you" she said. "I found it last night before I went to bed"

"What is it?" he asked.

Katara pulled out an air-nomad neck piece from under her tunic and placed it around Aang's neck. "This" she said simply. It had an air-nomad insignia on it, just like Monk Gyatso's.

"Katara .. this is amazing" Aang sighed in awe, as he brushed his thumbs over it. "Thank you .. thanks so much"

"Your welcome, it's the least I can give you after everything that has happened" she replied.

Aang didn't even listen to her, and pulled her into a hug. "You have no idea how much this means to me". He loved her so much right now, he always has and always will. He still thinking she was confused didn't want to do anything to jeopardize this friendship they managed to establish and repair. So he stayed silent. "Thank you .."

"There is something else I have to give you. When we're back in Ba Sing Ce, I'll give it to you" she said.

"Katara please, this is already-"

"What I have to give you .. or show you, is really important" she said, ending the discussion.

"Katara?" Zuko's voice called out. "May I have a moment with please .. when you're finished?" Zuko requested.

"Sure". Aang was still pressed up against the wall, but slid down in some sort of heap, holding the neck piece in his hand. "Bye Aang, I'll see you later"

"Bye!" he called out, and she left behind the curtain.

**0o0o0o0o0o**

Katara walked outside into the courtyard, and met with her brother. They both got the biggest surprise all day. Their dad. The three all talked for a while, while Sokka protected Suki from Ty Lee who was dressed up as a Kyoshi Warrior, Toph pulled Katara over.

"Did you fix things with Aang?" she asked.

"Yeah, more or less. But there's something else I have to do when we're back in Ba Sing Ce" she answered.

"I-I ... I don't even want to know" she half yelled, and wandered off again.

Zuko made his way out, and the crowd cheered loudly, but refused the admiration. "Please - the real hero : is the Avatar" and out came Aang.

Katara looked up at him proudly. Her mind was racing with thoughts. 'It's hard to believe that almost a year ago, Aang was just a goofy kid with only one element. Yes, he's still that goofy kid, but he's grown into something ... much more ...'. She mentally paused. "I regret being confused. Well I do and I don't. I do as in we almost were in a relationship .. don't as in, if we were in a relationship and I lost him. I wouldn't be able to cope .. '

"Today this war is finally over! I promised my uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation. And I will. The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path and begin a new era of love and peace" Zuko declared.

Zuko got down on one knee as the Fire Sage planted in the headpiece.

The six friends, now including Mai, all ran up to Zuko as he came down the stairs.

"Great speech, Zuko. Great way to say goodbye to the war" Suki commented.

"Yeah, thanks Suki. There are still a few loose ends to tie up, those being my father, my sister, and eventually my mother, but the actual war is officially over"

"To a new era of love and peace!" Toph cheered.

Aang and Katara exchanged looks, but both immediately looked away, blushing. '_Love and peace_" Katara thought and sighed contently.


End file.
